Granny Smith's Famous Apple Scones

The recent cold weather snap has made me yearn for cakes and comfort food. There's something about baking in a kitchen warmed by a hot oven that seems more appealing on cold wintry days. I think it's because the smell of baking reminds me of being a child and my mum baking a yummy cake or pudding for the family on a cold winter's day. The smell was so tempting that I could hardly wait for tea time so I could devour the delicious baked treat. Apple crumble or apple pie would always be a particular favourite treat, served with homemade custard and with a sugary crunchy topping to please my sweet tooth.

This recipe really appealed to me, partly because I love scones, but also because of the addition of apples. The fruity apple flavour will always be a hit with my tastebuds after my childhood favourites so this recipe is definitely a new favourite of mine.

Enjoy these yummy apple scones while they’re still warm, topped with clotted cream and warm poached apple slices. A perfect cosy afternoon treat!

Preparation: 15 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking: 18 minutes
Makes 14

Ingredients

450g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
110g butter, chilled and diced
150g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
4 South African Granny Smith apples
Pinch of ground nutmeg or cinnamon
1 large egg
Approx. 280ml milk
Clotted cream, to serve

Method

- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan oven 180°C, Gas Mark 6. Put a baking sheet into the oven
to preheat (this helps to give your scones extra lift).
- Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture looks
like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in 100g sugar.
- Peel and core the apples, chop half of them and stir into the scone mixture. Slice the
remaining apples thinly and put them into a saucepan with the remaining 50g sugar, a pinch
of nutmeg or cinnamon and 100ml water. Heat and simmer until tender – about 10 minutes.
- Beat the egg in a measuring jug, then add milk to bring the liquid up to 300ml, mixing well.
Add just enough to the rubbed-in mixture to make a soft (not sticky) dough - there will be
some liquid left. Bring the dough together.
- Knead the dough lightly on a floured work surface for a few moments. Wrap in cling film
and chill for 10-15 minutes, though no longer, as you don’t want the dough to be icy cold
and tricky to roll.
- Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 3cm thick. Use a 5cm plain or
fluted cutter to stamp out rounds. Gather any trimmings together, re-roll and cut out more
scones.
- Arrange the scones quickly onto the preheated baking sheet. Brush the tops with the
remaining egg and milk mixture. Immediately transfer to the oven and bake for 15-18
minutes towards the top of the oven, until well-risen and golden brown. Cool a little, then
serve with the poached apples and clotted cream.

Tip:

Avoid twisting the cutter when stamping out the scones - just press it straight through the dough. This will help your scones to rise evenly


Recipe courtesy of South African Fruit, click here for more delicious recipes.